Through The Tears
by Dragon'sHost
Summary: While Lucy cries, she accidentally says a couple of things she didn't necessarily intend to.


**This was done as part of a prompt challenge from Eien ni Touko on Tumblr – the same challenge as "Closing The Distance Between", actually. Different prompt, though. I had such a difficult time deciding what I wanted to do with this prompt… and vacillated between depressing, heartbreaking, and soul-crushing, until I finally decided to do this fluffy thing instead.**

 **Prompt: "Things you said when you were crying."**

 **Pairing Requested: CoLu (of course – it's our beloved OTP)**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail.**

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Lucy stood in her kitchen, gripping her kitchen counter and trying her hardest not to hyperventilate. Wondering how she had managed to put herself into the slightly mortifying situation in which she now found herself.

Right. Because she'd opened her mouth and spoken without thinking it through. That was why.

Natsu was rubbing off on her. She could tell. Internally, Lucy vowed to strangle pink-haired Dragon Slayer the next chance she got.

A chuckle from the other room reminded her that she wasn't actually alone in her apartment. Or even in her head.

 _'Why do I do this to myself?'_ she lamented. _'Am I secretly a masochist?'_

"That would explain a lot!" the apartment's other occupant called out.

"Not helping, Cobra!" Lucy shouted back, to the man's continued amusement. "Glad to see you find my misery so entertaining!"

"I'm a sadist!"

"Clearly!"

The scarred man ducked his head into the kitchen. "You know, you really don't have to do this."

Shaking her head, Lucy attempted a smile. Though she was certain it came out as more of a grimace. "I offered. To celebrate."

Cobra stepped fully into the kitchen. Leaning against the doorframe with his arms crossed, the former criminal gave his friend a long, hard stare. "It's fine, Lucy."

He let out a chuckle as she sniffed, "I'm a Celestial Mage. I made you a promise. Celestial Mages don't break promises."

"Tell that to Sorano." There was another pause. "Are you sure you don't want help? I feel kind of… strange, just standing here."

"No," Lucy stated firmly. "Everyone was off to celebrate Crime Sorciere becoming a legal guild, and you weren't doing anything." Jellal and Erza had disappeared to who knew where (though what they were probably up to wasn't exactly a mystery), Juvia and Meredy had decided to tour Magnolia's shops together, Gray and Lyon had each grabbed one of Sawyer's arms and dragged him to the nearest local bar, Jura and Richard were most likely still at the guild drinking, and Sorano had absconded with her sister for sister-bonding-time. Macbeth, it was assumed, had found himself a nice, quiet corner in which to take a nap.

Which had left Cobra sitting rather bored by himself at the guild. Kinana, unfortunately, had been far too busy serving to attend to her languishing best friend.

So Lucy had taken pity on him.

"We've been friends for years, Cobra. Let me do something nice for you." It was true. Somehow or another, the pair had struck up what was quite possibly the oddest friendship anyone in Crime Sorciere and Fairy Tail had ever seen. Their verbal sparring matches were legendary – not only for the sheer amount of rancor that flew between them, but for the pleasant smiles adorning their faces while they did so. The second anyone commented though, and the two would immediately turn as a united force upon the poor, dumb fool that had interrupted.

Groaning, Cobra threw his hands up in defeat. "Whatever you say. I can already tell I'm not going to win this one."

"Damn straight," she muttered, borrowing one of Cobra's favored phrases. With that, she returned to mutilating the current object of her frustration.

Blasted onions.

The heinous root vegetable and Lucy had never gotten along. And now was no exception, as her eyes watered and burned from the pungent fumes. But Lucy would persevere. She wouldn't let a stupid vegetable stand in the way of keeping a promise to Cobra to make him a home cooked meal.

Even if the dish he'd requested contained a truly obscene amount of the ingredient.

Even if she was bawling her eyes out because _dammit it burned_.

"Lucy… I am immune to the fumes. Just let me do it, already!"

"No!" she shouted, determined to get through this.

"We can just get takeout instead! It's fine!" he pleaded with her, though in truth he was trying very hard not to laugh at the predicament her stubbornness had landed her in.

Lucy shook her head fiercely, her cheeks burning with embarrassment and the dried tear tracks leaving her face feeling gross. "I said I would do this and I will!"

Cobra frowned at her. This was a little more resistance than even he had expected, knowing Lucy's obstinate streak as well as he did. Her soul was so muddied with frustration and stubborn determination that it was difficult to get a clear, concise read on her exact thoughts.

The Poison Dragon Slayer also suspected that not all of her tears were due solely to the onions she was dicing.

So he heaved himself off of the doorframe, and took a few steps towards the furiously chopping blonde. "Lucy," Cobra said, laying a hand on her shoulder. "I meant it. It's fine if I don't eat a home cooked meal. I'm just happy to have been invited for dinner." He paused, then added, "I can tell that something's wrong. What's going on? Why is this so important to you?"

"Because it is," Lucy grumbled, roughly wiping her eyes with her arm.

Cobra squeezed her shoulder lightly. "Lucy…"

"It just is, okay?!" she shouted. Sensing that he was not impressed with that response, she added, "I just… I want to do it. I want to cook you something you like."

Confused, Cobra gave her a strange look – though it was difficult for her to see it clearly through the onion-tears still pouring from her eyes.

"But… _why?_ " he asked.

"Because I love you and I want to do something that makes you happy!" she yelled.

Silence filled the kitchen as both of them froze at the sudden declaration, Cobra's hand still on Lucy's shoulder and she mid-chop.

After a few moments, Lucy let out a tiny whimper. With a clatter, the knife she'd been using to cut the onions slipped from her grasp to the cutting board. "I'm… uh…" she mumbled, queasiness rising inside of her. "That's… I mean…"

Cobra's hand dropped from her shoulder, and Lucy's heart went with it. Only for her heartrate to suddenly increase when she felt his hand intertwining with her own. He gave it a gentle tug. "Come this way, Lucy."

Trusting him, and still not able to see clearly, Lucy followed as Cobra led her outside the kitchen. He guided her to the couch, where he coaxed her to sit. "Stay right there," he ordered, letting go of her. "I will be right back."

Lucy listened to his footsteps as he returned to the kitchen. A moment later, she heard the sink faucet running, and then his footsteps returning to her just as he'd promised.

Warm, damp cloth was dropped upon her hands. "Wipe your hands," he said, "and close your eyes."

When she did, she felt another wet cloth being placed upon her eyelids. Cobra patted her eyes with the soothing material to ease the burning there. "I'm sorry," Lucy murmured.

"For what?"

"For… for suddenly… confessing like that." Shame made her ears burn almost as intensely as her eyes.

The dabbing paused for a second, before it resumed. Was it… was Cobra's hand trembling? Lucy thought it might be.

Voice croaking, Cobra finally asked, "How long?"

The Fairy Tail Mage swallowed, a lump of emotion in her throat making it hard to breathe. "Years, probably. I'm not sure when exactly. I just… saw you one day and knew." She sniffed, tears that had nothing to do with the root vegetables from earlier threatening to well up. "I thought you were already aware of my feelings, actually. And that you were… I don't know. Being nice."

"I'm not that nice," he informed her. "There. Now try opening your eyes."

She did so, blinking rapidly. They still stung, and were probably swollen and red and blotchy like the rest of her face, but at least now she could see out of them.

Cobra was sitting on the low table, fixing an intense stare at her.

"W-what?" she asked, fidgeting in place. "Look… if it bothers you, I'll just… forget about it. I'm sorry if I've made you uncomfortable. I didn't mean to. I don't want to lose your friendship over this. It means too much to me."

Reaching up, Cobra cupped her cheek with his much darker hand. "I was just surprised, Lucy. Not uncomfortable. Not bothered by it." His other hand cupped her other cheek, the cloth he'd been holding having fallen to the floor. "No. I'm… elated. Relieved. Beyond what words can convey." He paused, searching her gaze. "I wish you could hear me as I can you."

Lucy raised her hands to place them against Cobra's face as well. "You are?" she whispered. "You do?"

"Yes."

"T-then," Lucy stuttered, confused, "how… why did it surprise you?"

"Because I thought I was just hearing what I wanted to hear," Cobra stated. "I thought I was mistaking friendship for romantic love. I…" He searched for the right words to express himself. "I haven't had much experience with either, to be honest."

Lucy swallowed again, her heart racing so fast she thought it would burst at any moment. "What you… _wanted_ … to hear?" She hoped she had heard him correctly.

"Yes. Because, Lucy Heartfilia, I love you too." Then Cobra leaned in, and pressed his lips to Lucy's.

It was brief, barely more than a peck. But when he pulled away, he found himself being pulled in by Lucy for another kiss. This one was a little longer, a little deeper.

When they parted, Cobra released her face and stood. Sitting down beside her on the couch, he then reached for her and pulled her onto his lap.

They wrapped their arms around each other, holding tight.

"How long?" Lucy asked into Cobra's chest, repeating his own question.

Cobra made a noncommittal noise, his head resting atop hers. "I'm not exactly sure, either. I realized that I did somewhere around our fifteenth or sixteenth major shouting contest, though. And even then, Kinana had to point it out to me." He smiled as Lucy giggled. "She told me that if you made me smile for real, so often – even while we argued – that we had something special. Oh… and that I needed to work up the courage to ask you out."

Lucy laughed outright at that. "Why didn't you listen to her? Could have saved us both a bit of trouble."

"A fact she will probably inform me of every day for the rest of my life," Cobra groaned. "But like you, I didn't… want to risk my friendship with you."

"I understand."

Several minutes passed comfortably between them. Both Lucy and Cobra were content to sit there on Lucy's couch, reveling in the knowledge that their love was returned and the feel of the other in their arms.

Cobra eventually broke the silence.

"Can we order takeout now?"

Lucy laughed at his request.

And agreed.

Because there was no way she was going anywhere near those onions again.

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 **Let me know what you guys think! I'm writing the second half of "Closing The Distance Between." I swear I am. And "Antivenin". I'm working that, too. I promise.**


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